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The next morning broke fast and golden, sunlight streaming over the quiet streets of Miyagi.
The air was crisp, filled with the distant buzz of cicadas and the clinking of bicycle gears.
Shōyō Hinata pedaled hard, his gym bag thumping rhythmically against his back as Karasuno High came into view.
His mind was laser-focused, reeling through yesterday's drills, the subtle nods of approval from Kiyoko, the spark of rhythm beginning to light among the team.
Today was it. The practice match.
His first chance to showcase everything he'd carried back from the future.
He skidded to a stop near the gym doors, locked his bike in place, and jogged inside.
The familiar echo of squeaking sneakers, echoing shouts, and volleyballs thudding against hardwood floors welcomed him home.
Inside, the team was already gearing up. The court was alive with stretching players, laughter, and focused tension.
Hinata's eyes swept the gym, a sense of déjà vu creeping over him—he remembered this day clearly from the first time around. But this time, he was different.
Daichi clapped his hands, cutting through the noise. His tone was steady, commanding.
"Alright, practice match. Team A: me, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi. Team B: Kageyama, Hinata, Tanaka. Let's keep it clean and sharp—play like it's the real thing."
Hinata moved without hesitation, joining Kageyama and Tanaka by the net.
Tanaka cracked his knuckles, flashing a wild grin. "Let's crush 'em, huh?"
Kageyama didn't respond, but his intense eyes were locked on the ball in his hands.
Hinata noticed the flicker of tension in his jaw—the calm before a storm.
There was no grudge between them—not yet. Just pure, electric focus.
On the sidelines, Sugawara and Kiyoko settled into position, clipboards ready.
Yamaguchi stepped to the baseline first. His serve wasn't flashy, but it was solid, arcing cleanly over the net.
Hinata's instincts kicked in.
He moved. Quick. Controlled. Every step guided by experience far beyond his years. He bent low, arms locked in position.
Thwaak.
The ball rebounded off his forearms, clean and crisp, sailing high into the air.
Kageyama's gaze flicked up—first to the ball, then to Tanaka streaking toward the net.
"Left!" Tanaka called.
Kageyama's set was a thing of beauty—tight, fast, precise. The ball practically zipped into Tanaka's path.
Boom!
Tanaka's spike thundered through the air, bypassing Tsukishima's outstretched block and slamming into the floor.
Thump.
"Point, Team B!" Sugawara called from the sideline, jotting it down.
Tanaka whooped, throwing his arm around Hinata. "Nice receive! That was textbook, little man!"
Hinata grinned, heart pounding, but his eyes were already on Kageyama.
The setter didn't say anything, but there was a tiny shift in his shoulders—acknowledgment.
Kageyama stepped back to serve. His fingers gripped the ball tightly, shoulders coiling with barely restrained power.
Then he launched.
Boom!
The ball rocketed over the net like a missile, aimed directly at Yamaguchi.
The freckled first-year lunged, trying to get under it, but the ball glanced off his wrists and shot out of bounds.
"Point again," Sugawara called. "That's Kageyama for you."
Kageyama reset, bouncing the ball once, twice, then served again.
This one angled at Daichi.
The captain reacted fast—knees bent, arms steady—
Thwak!
He received it cleanly, sending it arcing back to Tsukishima, who stepped in with a calculated smirk.
The tall blocker tossed up a high set for Daichi.
The captain jumped, strong and centered, aiming for the corner pocket.
But Hinata was already there.
He exploded off the ground, timing perfect.
Boom!
His hands met the ball in midair—
Thud.
The spike deflected back onto Daichi's side, untouched.
For a breath, the gym froze.
Then—
"What the hell was that?!" Tanaka barked, half-laughing in disbelief.
Kiyoko paused mid-writing, her eyes wide. Even Sugawara leaned forward, murmuring, "Whoa…"
Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, eyes narrowing, while Daichi landed and stared at Hinata with a mix of shock and respect.
"Didn't see that coming," Daichi muttered under his breath.
They reset.
Kageyama served again.
Boom!
Another cannon blast. Daichi managed to dig it—
Thwak!
Tsukishima followed up with a set.
Daichi jumped again.
Boom.
But Hinata was already airborne.
Thud!
Another block. Another point denied.
The reaction this time was louder. Tanaka roared, grabbing Hinata in a rough hug. "You're a wall, my man! Freaking impenetrable!"
Kageyama's brow furrowed, staring at Hinata now—not with annoyance—but with a glimmer of curiosity.
Next serve—Kageyama again. He launched it, but this time, the angle was off.
The ball sailed wide, crashing into the wall.
"Out of bounds," Sugawara called.
Laughter erupted from the other team.
Tanaka laughing. "Nice pitch, Kageyama! That's a baseball, not a serve!"
Tsukishima smirked, arms crossed. "It's volleyball, not baseball, Your Majesty."
Kageyama glared "shut up", deadly quiet.
Tsukishima stepped up to serve. His posture was relaxed, almost lazy—but deceptive. The ball sailed low, then suddenly dipped.
Tanaka lunged but couldn't reach it.
Point for Team A.
Tsukishima turned toward Kageyama. "Try harder, Your Majesty."
Kageyama's glare intensified, his fingers twitching.
Hinata, meanwhile, simply reset.
Tsukishima served again.
Hinata moved like a ghost—fluid, silent. He tracked the ball and stepped in.
Thwak.
Another clean receive, dead center.
Kageyama blinked. "Nice receive," he muttered—quiet, like he hadn't meant to say it.
Hinata didn't look at him. Just smiled softly and nodded.
The play continued. Kageyama's set flew like a bullet to Tanaka. A spike. Tsukishima blocked. The ball bounced. Yamaguchi dove. Another rally.
Sweat began to gleam on their foreheads. Breathing deepened. Each movement faster, more precise.
Hinata was everywhere—receiving, blocking, but he had never spiked till now.
His timing was impeccable. His reads were lightning quick. Every muscle moved with purpose, honed by years of future training no one else could see.
On the sidelines, Kiyoko's eyes never left him. Her pencil tapped silently against the clipboard, lips pursed.
Sugawara leaned to her and whispered, "He's different, isn't he?"
She didn't answer—just nodded once.
Point after point passed, the score neck-and-neck.
Tanaka caught on fast, adjusting his position, eyes wild with excitement. "We're buzzing, guys!"
Even Tsukishima, lips tight, was watching Hinata now with something approaching caution.
Finally, Daichi called a timeout. The players jogged to the benches, gulping water and catching their breath.
Hinata sat, towel draped over his shoulders. Kageyama dropped beside him, not looking at him directly.
"...That block," Kageyama muttered. "Against Daichi. Twice."
Hinata shrugged, wiping sweat from his brow. "Just got lucky."
Kageyama scoffed. "Right."
But there was no bitterness. Just focus.
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"Next play! Let's go!" Daichi's voice rang out across the gym.
Tsukishima stepped back to serve again, spinning the ball lazily in his hand. He tossed it up and sent it slicing over the net. The serve came low—strategic, targeted.
Hinata tracked it instantly, reading the arc with precision. He lunged forward—
Thwak
Clean receive.
The ball popped up perfectly, hovering in the sweet spot. Kageyama blinked once, eyes on the ball. He muttered, almost inaudibly, "Nice receive…"
Hinata caught the words but didn't reply. Just a small, knowing smile as he reset.
Kageyama wasted no time. He darted under the ball and flicked a quick set to Tanaka.
"Yeah, baby, c'mon!" Tanaka roared, already airborne.
Boom
He slammed it down with force, the ball cracking against the court between Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.
"Point, Team B!" Sugawara called out from the sideline, grinning.
Tanaka landed, spun, and pointed at Tsukishima. "How do you like that, huh?"
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. "You've got one move, Tanaka. Let's not celebrate just yet."
Rotation shifted—Hinata stepped back, now holding the ball.
All eyes turned to him.
"Is it gonna be a jump serve?" Sugawara whispered, leaning closer to Kiyoko.
"Or a floater?" she replied, her eyes never leaving Hinata.
Even Kageyama glanced over, arms crossed, brow furrowed.
Hinata bounced the ball twice, weighing his options. He could blow them away with something flashy… but where was the fun in that?
He tossed the ball into the air and hit—
Swish
A simple, controlled serve.
"It's a normal serve?" Tanaka blinked.
Kageyama's expression twitched—annoyed, maybe confused.
The ball landed clean in Tsukishima's blind spot. He shuffled, reaching awkwardly—
Thud
Barely kept it alive. Yamaguchi scrambled to set, tossing a high, shaky arc.
Daichi leaped, spiking it just past Kageyama's late block attempt.
Boom
Point, Team A.
Tanaka groaned. "Aw man, we should've had that. My bad."
Kageyama didn't say anything. He just clenched his jaw, glaring at the floor.
Tsukishima laughed. "Try again, Your Majesty," he teased, shooting a smirk toward Kageyama.
Hinata reset, cool and collected. He didn't need power to shake them—just precision.
Yamaguchi stepped up for the next serve.
Swish
A basic serve, looping into Team B's court.
Tanaka rushed in. "Mine!"
Thwak
A strong receive, sailing up to Kageyama.
"Left!" Tanaka barked.
Kageyama's set was fast, tight, right into Tanaka's approach path.
Tanaka attacked again—
Boom
—but this time, Tsukishima was ready. He jumped with eerie calm.
Thud
Block.
The ball deflected clean to the floor on Team B's side before Hinata could reach it.
"Point, Team A!" Sugawara called.
Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, smirking wider. "Getting predictable, King."
Kageyama's eye twitched. "Shut it."
The match tempo picked up—furious volleys flying back and forth.
Daichi dove for a dig, skidding across the floor. "Up!"
Tsukishima feinted a quick set, then dumped the ball over the net.
Tanaka scrambled and barely saved it.
Kageyama's fingers blurred as he set again, this time to Tanaka—predictable, fast.
Tsukishima blocked.
"Damn it!" Tanaka growled, punching the air.
Hinata stayed alert, waiting.
Another rally started. Yamaguchi served.
Swish
This time the ball dipped low. Tanaka lunged, his receive shaky.
"Got it!" he shouted, passing it up.
Kageyama was already moving.
'Till now kageyama didn't set a ball for him I don't know why is it because I recieved his serve few days ago' Hinata wondered
Hinata saw his moment.
"Left!" he called, dashing into the wing position, eyes sharp.
Kageyama hesitated just for a second. Their history—the junior high grudge—lingered, bitter and unresolved.
But he set it anyway.
The toss was perfect—high, fast, timed to Hinata's rhythm like muscle memory.
One step. Two. Three.
Hinata jumped—not full power, but strong, fluid.
Tsukishima loomed across the net, fingers wide.
Hinata adjusted midair, tilting his body.
Boom
A brutal spike—sharp, clean—slipping right through Tsukishima's block.
Crack
The ball slammed the floor on Team A's side. Silence.
Then—
"YES!" Tanaka exploded, pumping a fist.
Sugawara gaped. "Did you see that?"
Kiyoko's pen hovered midair. Her eyes locked on Hinata. "That jump…"
Daichi's whistle cut the silence. "Now that was a hit."
Tsukishima landed, brows drawn, rattled for once.
Yamaguchi blinked. "That was insane."
Even Kageyama stared, lips slightly parted. His usual scowl replaced by something unreadable.
Tanaka bounded over, laughing. "You're a freak! Where'd that come from?"
Hinata shrugged, wiping sweat from his brow. "Just practice."
Kageyama looked at him again, longer this time. Something in his expression had shifted—not anger. Curiosity.
Kiyoko scribbled something down on her clipboard. Her gaze lingered on him. Sugawara just shook his head, still smiling.
The gym wasn't just echoing with squeaking shoes and thundering spikes now—it buzzed with something else.
Anticipation.
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To be continued…
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Let me know your thoughts any improvement and give ideas how this story should go and also do I need to include other people pov and thier own screentime,thier thoughts
Also should I give time for his family interaction or just focus completely on volleyball
How can I improve writing matches and also any tips to write matches?
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